Combined curb box and automatic gas cut-off



July 22, 1924. Y

J. GILLEN COMBINED CURB BOX AND AUTOMATIC GAS CUT-OFF Filed Feb. s, 1923 i i i'ir war/11111111 1 atented July 22, 1924.

STATES JOSEPH GILLEN, 0F FLUSHING, NEW YORK.

COMBINED CURB BOX AND AUTOMATIC GAS CUT-OFF.

Application filed February 5, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH GILLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flushing, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Curb Boxes and Automatic Gas Cut-Offs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cut off mechanism for gas supply apparatus and has particular reference to that type of devices covered by Letters Patent of the United States No. 1172,977, and over which this is an improvement.

Among the direct objects of the present construction is to provide a combination quick acting or automatic cut off and curb box, whereby the action of the cut off at the curb box is rendered not only quick and easy but always certain, taking into account that in many cases the cut off means at the curb box, by reason of rust or other weather conditions, is frequently not only inaccessible but impossible of operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cut off operative remote from the building and in the region of the curb box or point beneath the curb box, and which may be caused to operate eitherv automatically or by hand action of any one in authority such as a fireman or employee of the gas company and from different positions or places with respect to the cut off valve.

A still further object is to provide an automatic cut off between the outside of the building and the gas main, operative automatically as a result of a fire or excessive heat within the building.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the inven tion is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view indicating diagrammatically the general relationship between the street main, the sidewalk and curb box, and the front wall of the building, with my improvements in position.

Serial No. 616,998.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar detail on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, I indicate at C the curb extending along the street S beneath which is the main M and remote from the outer wall of the building within the basement of which is the meter 11 to which leads the branch pipe 12 from the main.

13 indicates the curb box having a cover 14 usually flush with the sidewalk and from which the cut off valve is ordinarily accessible. The valve comprises a casing 15 interposed in the pipe 12, said casing being shown as of cylindrical form and with a hemispherical closed bottom. Between the lid 16 of the casing and the bottom of the curb box 13 is a rigid casing 17 preferably of the nature of an inch gas pipe, the same being connected firmly and hermetically to the aforesaid box and easing.

The cut off valve 18 is designed to conform to the inner surface of the casing 15, having a cylindrical body and a hemispherica lower end, but shorter in length than the casing, so that while the valve is held normally elevated as illustrated there is clear passage between the members of the pipe 12 on opposite sides of the casing. Connected to the top of the valve and extending thence upward through the casing 17 is a rod or stem 19 to which is secured or formed a collar 20 not far below the bottom of the curb box 13. The upper portion ofthe stem 19 is fitted slidably through a packing gland 21 at any convenient place as within the box 13 and through which leakage of gas upward through the casing or leakage ofmoisture downward are prevented. A coil spring 22 of sufficient strength surrounds the stem between the collar and the gland 21, the same being normally under compression and which therefore tends to throw the valve downward for closingthe valve.

Formed on or secured to the upper end of the stem 19 is a handle or head 23 of any suitable design or shape but indicated as in the form of a T-head with a part extending horizontally below the cover 14 of the box.

Any suitable means may be provided, preferably in co-operation with the head 23, for holding the valve in normal elevated position. To this end I provide a strut 24: whose lower end is seated in a seat or CJI side of the building,

mally closed by'a plate of L pit 25 formed in the bottom of the box 13 and Whose upper end co operates as by means of an anti'afriction roller 26 with the head 28 after the head and Valve are drawn upward by hand. To release the head and valve the operator may lift the cover 14 and reaching directly into the box may displace the strut either by hand or the use of a single tool, thereby allowingthe spring to throw the valve downward, the head at this time approaching the bottom of the box.

For theoperation or manipulation of the cut o'fi' valve from a distafirce I provide a cable 27 attached at 28 to the strut and ex tending thence laterally beneath the Walk preferably into or through the 1 i-ng. As shown this cable leads through a closed guide Way 29 extei i'ding through the basement Wall 10" and having oh its inner end a housing 30 which may be provided if desired with antiracti n rollers 31". The inner end 27 of this cable is secured at some elevated pointas upon a book 32, and interposed in the cable below "the hook is a fusible link A Weight- V is suspehde'd from the cable beneath the link at the point 34 and above the guide rollers 31-. An auxiliary line or cable is attached to the main cable adjacent to the rollers Bi and leads upward through a guide Way 86 and thence outward through the wall 10 to a handle or ring 37 accessible from the outespe'cially for use by a fireman. Access to this l i-andle 37 is nork 38 which of course is easily breakable in an emergency.

The operation of this device constructed as just above described is somei'i' h a't follaws: In. case of a fire in the building the link which is ordinarily composed or a metal having a low rusrngpoint, Wiil melt and 'se part the cable 27, 27 and allow the i'veig ht to p theloi' er jguioe roller and along the guide 29 andp'ull the st'r'ut Ql from normal post tien, a lasting the head 28 'to drop as aboye described. Sufficient slack be observed in theanxiliary cable '35 to permit this automatic result. Again, irrespective of the presence of the Within the building adjacent to'the mechanism just described a fireman,

ir itate and pull the cable Dyer for example, by pulling outward upon the handle 37 may Withdraw the strut from holding position and so close the'valve 18. The location of the point of attachment 34 above the guide rollers 31 Will afford ample movement of the cable in this manner with out requiring the fireman to lift the Weight W. Any portion or all of the curb box and tubular casing 17 may be filled or supplied With grease for maintaining the parts in freely movable condition.

I claim:

1. The combination with a gas supply pipe, a cut off valve thereinand a curb box remote from the outside of the building inelosing' valve actuating means ii'ori'nall'y held in inoperative position, of means 0})- era-table from the inside of the buildingto release the valve actuating means to effect the closing oi fthe Valve in the cut ea. 2

2. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the op'era'table means for effecting the closure of the valve is automatic as 'a result of abnormal heat Within the building. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 and additional means for effecting the closing of the Valve comprisingmanually operated member accessible at the outside of the building. 7

4. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a, curb box, a gas supply pipe, a cut off valve located in the supply pipe beneath the cur-b box, 'a'he r'meti cally sea-led casing extending b'etweeh the with box and the valve casing, a Valve stein siiclable insaid casing and ahead Within the curb box, means eo-operating with the head for holding the val'i e normally open. I

5. Mechanism as set forth elaiin 4 in which the means cooperating with the head is a rigid strut displaceable directly by hand Within the curb box. l r

'6. Ivieehaaism set forth in claim '4. in Wh ieh the means temperating with the head is a rigid strut and a flexible member ex= tending laterally from said strut to a point Within the building.

In testimony whereof I my signa ture.

JOSEPH GILLEN. 

